Badlands Fieldcraft: Opinion and Gear Review: My long range rifle system

Read the original at Badlands Fieldcraft. -NCS

System: a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network.

For a long time I’ve really only had two rifles that I considered part of my “Red Dawn Battery”. I own other rifles, but these two were the ones I considered my go to rifles for rural SHTF security. They are both DMR style rifles, a 16” 5.56 AR and a 20” .308 AR. From much personal experience, and depending greatly on the wind, I’ve come to expect reliable Minute Of Man (in the vitals of course) accuracy between 400-600 yards for the 5.56 and 500-800 yards for the .308.

As you can see, the wind greatly affects the distance I can reliably shoot. Another factor with these two rifles is they both utilize a BDC reticle for getting on target quick at closer distance but allowing for rapid engagement of farther targets, but the reticles are only accurate to a point. While BDC reticles have come a long way, with the ACSS reticles by Primary Arms leading the charge, there are none available that I’m aware of that can compensate for all the factors you have to consider for true long distance shooting. For the most accurate long range shooting, good solid data dialed on the turrets or held in the reticle is still the king.

I realized that given the terrain I live in I was needing a rifle, ammunition and optic combination that could give me a longer range capability. 800 yards isn’t really all that far in some of the terrain around here and in a tactical environment a couple hundred more yards of standoff is always nice to have.

I debated about which calibers I might like to use and for awhile I was torn between .308 and .300 Win Mag. Of course there are many other calibers to choose from, but I was wanting something with a good selection of factory match ammunition to choose from. Of course I could “roll my own”, but having hand loaded for years I have appreciation for the skill but would rather spend my time training.

I’ve always been fond of the .308 and since I’m already set up for it I thought a good bolt gun with an appropriate optic could push the .308 to 1000 yards easy enough. But then there was the .300, with its high BC and sled load of energy. In the end I settled on a bit of a compromise with the 6.5 Creedmoor. Similar energy to the .308 while resembling the .300 Win Mag ballistics, and with ammunition at a price point that didn’t make me feel guilty for not reloading. Not to mention it won’t pulverize my shoulder like the .300.

I had some criteria I was looking to stay within as I selected a rifle. It needed to be accurate, being capable of holding 1 MOA with factory match ammunition. I wanted a threaded barrel since I already own a suppressor. I wanted to utilize detectable magazines of either the SR25 or AICS style. And finally it needed to be lightweight. I wanted the entire system to be less than 10 pounds when it’s all assembled. This pretty much excludes anything with a chassis or target style adjustable stock. I set the limit at ten pounds for the rifle because I’m not just carrying it from the pickup to the bench at the range, I plan to carry it for miles over rough terrain and with an accompanying load of sustainment equipment as well. A quick search on SnipersHide produced a thread where the users there thought 15+ pounds for an empty “practical” rifle was acceptable. Maybe at the target range, but not in the bush. I also wanted to avoid breaking the bank on a rifle, especially since there are many economical choices available now that rival the custom rifles of ten years ago.

I looked around at what was available locally and decided on the Ruger American Predator. It’s not a wannabe target rifle in Uber-tactical get up, instead it’s a rifle designed to be carried into the bush and kill predators in field settings.

So with a sticker price of $499 you get a rifle with a proven and durable action, a good trigger, a 22” hammer forged threaded barrel and a stock that is lightweight with aluminum bedding and a detachable magazine well, all weighing in at 6.6 pounds. 10 years ago a rifle at this price point didn’t exist, and it would cost nearly double to have one modified to be as functional (trust me, I did it). It’s amazing how free market demand can influence competition and drive prices down while driving value up.

So far so good on the rifle, but what optic? My specific criteria for the scope was once again lightweight, durable and with a usable reticle and repeatable turrets. For magnification I was looking for something at least 10 power, but not being an astronomer I didn’t see the need for much more than that. That still leaves a massive amount to choose from and to be honest I was thinking something from Primary Arms would fit the bill.

But while I was at the gun shop I noticed the Vortex Diamondback Tactical. Turrets, a useful “Christmas Tree” style reticle and first focal plane for $450 had my curiosity. I did some research on the scope and found it got favorable reviews online and Vortex’s own page got me really curious: “The Diamondback Tactical is a long-range wolf in sheep’s clothing. Rather than cramming features in at the expense of turret performance and optical quality, the Diamondback Tactical dials it back, putting the focus where it counts.” A-ha! Someone was getting it, a solid tool without all the doo-dads that are marketed to unsuspecting buyers.

The next day I went back and asked to take the 4-16x scope outside to see how the glass looked at distance. I was honestly shocked to behold such high quality at this price. I fully expected muted colors, fish eye effect and a tight eye box. Even at 16 power there was no appreciable degradation of the image. I decided then and there I would go home with that scope and a set of Vortex Pro rings.

That afternoon I assembled my scope mounting tools and went to the range. I also swung into the farm and fleet and picked up a box of Hornady 147 grain ELD Match bullets. That afternoon I was able to get the scope installed and zeroed, producing a 3/8 MOA group in the process.

The first 3 round group from the rifle. 3/8 MOA at 100 yards.

After shooting it a bit my suspicions about the stock were confirmed and I found it hard to get a good check weld. The stock is thin and not ideally suited to precision shooting, plus I needed about 3/4” of comb height to get a good check weld. I confirmed this by duct taping some foam pad to the stock to build it up. I had already decided I would like to use a stock pack so that I could store useful tools and a small data book with the rifle, so I ordered up a Triad Tactical stock pack.

Makeshift cheek riser or permanent? Just add more duct tape to keep it.

This stock pack is nice because it has about 3/8” of foam built in to give a solid cheek weld, but it can also be built up by adding strips of included Velcro material underneath. They include these strips at no extra cost and I thought that was a nice touch. I used all the pieces it came with and now have a very solid cheek weld.

Next was a sling. Slings can be a great shooting aid as well as a carrying strap, but the prices of a lot of the tactical shooting slings out there border on the absurd. Having made many slings and being familiar with the price of webbing, buckles and hardware I have to wonder how they justify the cost.

Once again the free market was to the rescue and I came across the Magpul Rifleman Loop Sling. It’s a simple bare bones sling that combines the features of a Rhodesian Sling and a Loop Sling. I had never heard of a Rhodesian Sling, but I’m pretty sure if you add “Rhodesian” to the name of any gear it is automatically bad ass. The Rhodesian aspect to the sling is very similar to the Hasty Sling I was taught in the Marines. And with a price of about $20 I couldn’t order the parts to make my own any cheaper so I went ahead and ordered it up.

When it arrived I used a set of 1.5” heavy duty sling swivels to attach it and spent a bit of time dry firing in different positions to get the sling adjusted properly. Once I had it adjusted I taped up the tails with camo Gorilla tape.

While I was sitting there with a roll of duct tape next to me I got to thinking about how nice it would be to have some sort of rear support permanently attached to the rifle for quick use. For those unfamiliar with a rear support, it’s typically a bag of some sort that is placed under the rear of the stock to help support the rifle when shooting prone in conjunction with a front support like a bipod or pack.

I’ve seen quite a few ideas, typically using carabiners to attach a rear bag or even the monopods that attach to the stock. I’ve never cared for either. As I was sitting there, I looked over at the pile of duct tape and cut up ISO-mat that I had removed from my stock to put the stock pack on. This was the the foam I had used to build up the comb on my stock temporarily to see how much height I needed. I decided to try and use the foam to make a rear support for my rifle.

I took the foam and cut it into strips slightly wider than my sling and about 8 inches in length. I came up with the length after measuring the distance from the bottom of my stock to the floor while I was in the prone and then adding a couple inches. I made 4 of these strips and then putting two on each side sandwiched my sling between them right after the rear sling swivel. I wrapped the whole contraption liberally in camo Gorilla tape and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t work slicker than snot on a gold tooth.

If you decide you must try this, leave about an inch gap between the top of your foam and your sling swivel so that the foam can get a good purchase on the stock.

I highly encourage you to try it. While not as stable as having the stock fully bagged in, I’ve shot out to 600 yards using just it and a bipod and have produced multiple 1 MOA groups on paper at closer ranges. If you were patrolling or hunting and had to get the rifle into action quickly I think this is as good as it gets.

Rifle supported by bipod and foam rear support only.

The final pieces I added were yet again shooting aids, this time a Pig Skinz barricade pad and my UTG Recon bipod mount to the forend of the stock. The Pig Skinz is a firm rubber pad to help cushion the stock should I want to rest it on something hard while shooting. The bipod mount is an adaptor that attaches to the traditional sling mount so I can utilize the picatinny quick detach on my bipod.

So far I’m very pleased with this set up, having everything I need and nothing I don’t. I feel its capabilities pick up where my other rifles leave off and I wouldn’t hesitate to take it with me into the bush to hunt predators, four-legged or two, should the need arise. It delivers comparable performance to other heavier rifles while saving precious pounds for extra food and water should I need to be out for multiple days. This project has been another example of “listening to my inner guide”. I could have bought any number of precision rifles over the last few years, yet I never felt it was the right time until now. I don’t think I would be as satisfied with my choices had I rushed into it back then.

I hope this has at a minimum been informative, but also entertaining. Feel free to email questions to [email protected]

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About the Author: NC Scout

NC Scout is the nom de guerre of a former Infantry Scout and Sergeant in one of the Army’s best Reconnaissance Units. He has combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He teaches a series of courses focusing on small unit skills rarely if ever taught anywhere else in the prepping and survival field, including his RTO Course which focuses on small unit communications. In his free time he is an avid hunter, bushcrafter, writer, long range shooter, prepper, amateur radio operator and Libertarian activist. He can be contacted at [email protected] or via his blog at brushbeater.wordpress.com .

29 Comments

  1. rto-jerry August 28, 2020 at 06:14

    Thanks brother for the tip on Magpul Rifleman Loop Sling. In the market for a “Joe six pack” sling and this will do the trick. BTW pure genius on the rear stock support, that’s a nice hasty setup. Buy that Marine a beer!!

    • Badlands Rifleman August 28, 2020 at 13:47

      Thanks Jerry, glad to help. The rear support turned out more useful than I thought it would, I was just messing around to begin with. Idle hands and what not haha!

  2. SemperFido August 28, 2020 at 07:30

    Nicely put together. I am really impressed with the foam rear support. I wouldn’t have thought to use foam but ounces equal pounds right? And attaching it to the sling is pure genius.

    • Johnny Paratrooper August 28, 2020 at 10:39

      Agreed. Hopefully when he marches out of the woodline, it’s still connected to his gun.
      Everyone knows how hungry the green monster is.

  3. Alan Burquist August 28, 2020 at 08:59

    Another great writeup.. Love the green! Yep, who needs giant parallax wheels and zoom throw levers, lol..
    What tool do you use to adjust your Scope bubble level.. I use the Wheeler scope leveler..

    Scout, have you given any thought to adding a site users photo gallery, maybe a forum?
    Pics uploaded from Imgur, and Photobucket are pretty safe..
    IMO, pics are the best way for ppl to show that they aren’t full of BS..

    • Badlands Rifleman August 28, 2020 at 13:55

      Hey Alan, glad you enjoyed it. I install my scope at the range, I get into the prone and level my reticle to a plumb post. After tightening the scope rings I use a torpedo level placed on the top ring to level the anti-can’t device. Then I confirm it all lined up good with my post.

      • Johnny Paratrooper August 28, 2020 at 16:23

        Brilliant Idea. Gonna put a plumb post at our range this weekend. What a great idea.
        I leveled my reticle on the [redacted] across the [redacted] when no-one was [redacted]
        Same difference I suppose. Hopefully I’m not shooting “Airballs” this weekend. [wink wink]
        City boy problems huh?

        • Badlands Rifleman August 29, 2020 at 20:59

          No, we all shoot air balls once in awhile. Had a fun experience this weekend that underlines that, skip your fundamentals and you’ll be shooting air balls, slow down and focus on the fundamentals and suddenly rounds start hitting. Funny how that works?

  4. Johnny Paratrooper August 28, 2020 at 10:35

    “A quick search on SnipersHide produced a thread where the users there thought 15+ pounds for an empty “practical” rifle was acceptable. Maybe at the target range, but not in the bush. I also wanted to avoid breaking the bank on a rifle, especially since there are many economical choices available now that rival the custom rifles of ten years ago.”

    I love 15 pound rifles. Almost all of my guns are around 15 pounds. AR’s included.

    Cool trick with the sling support. Serious question, have you noticed Gorilla tape coming undone in the hot weather?
    That’s stuff was a mess some years ago, do you think it’s a better product now? Should I buy some for the party?

    Also, when I asked if I should put a bubble level on my precision guns, the Snipers I know(hated) said “No, STFU and do pushups retard”
    Is that something I should invest in? How do you know your weapon is level on unlevel terrain? Does that really work outside of the benchrest?

    • Badlands Rifleman August 28, 2020 at 14:22

      I’m not saying 15 pound rifles aren’t good rifles, I just prefer to spend that weight penalty in other ways. For instance, 5 pounds is about the same weight as a 2 quart canteen and in the semi-arid region I live in that’s a minimum amount to head out with any time of year. As far as Gorilla tape coming undone in the heat, I personally haven’t had any issues. My first introduction to it was in Iraq and we taped up our breaching charges with it. I suppose it will eventually begin to loosen and if so I’ll just add another layer on top. It’s duct tape, the more the merrier. I can’t really answer for why your sniper buddies didn’t like a level, maybe they were Army snipers and couldn’t shoot far enough to need one? (I’m kidding!) While not necessary it still helps eliminate variables and isn’t overly complex or expensive so I figure the juice is worth the squeeze. I’m not sure I understand your question but the reason you put a level on your optic is to know when your reticle is level before firing, if not then your holdovers/ turret settings will not be as accurate.

      • Johnny Paratrooper August 28, 2020 at 15:46

        Marines are excellent marksmen. There is no denying that. Roger that on the tape. I will pick some up for the party.
        I was always taught to use the enemies inner ear as my level. Meaning, your enemy, and his houses, are standing “level”(Plumb). As are quite a few trees. Pole Pine being a good example.
        This is, coincidently, what makes the Eotech an excellent optic. Because the hash marks can be used to level or plumb your weapon on your target, his house, a window frame, a vehicle’s “skirt”. etc etc etc
        Good to know. I have waited about ten years for that answer. Thanks BR.I’ll add it to the list after I get my firefighting preps finished.

        • Badlands Rifleman August 29, 2020 at 20:57

          That’s a good idea using structures and their ears to level your reticle with, makes sense to me. So Gorilla tape is the best tape I’m aware of, but I’m no expert on tape either, it just works so I stick to it.

  5. Anonymous August 28, 2020 at 10:51

    5

  6. The Jerk August 28, 2020 at 11:34

    I laugh at our politicians who think banning semi automatic rifles is going to aid in their path to totalitarian security. The most dangerous scenario is in fact a population armed with 2 or 3 cheap “throw away” scoped, bolt action rifles. We saw that in Iraq. Shoot Once, maybe twice, on your terms, hit what you aim at and then abandon it and blend back into the population. That’s much harder to defend against than some fool squeezing of his 20 or 30 constitutionally protected rounds From his cool AR for all to see. $499 is a nice price. Add a $100 scope. 20 rounds to zero it all in. Good to go. Buy another one. Repeat.

    • Johnny Paratrooper August 28, 2020 at 13:37

      I have a $200 Mosin with a scope that shoots a steel core round that will blow a hole clean through a 30 inch pine tree.
      So I do concur with your analysis. It will also disable any vehicle motor with a few rounds. It is potentially the superior weapon when combined with proper tactics in many situations. I practice dry fire with my Mosin all the time. I filled the action with burnishing compound, and ran drills with it for several hours. Including using all 200 of my stripper clips. Of which I threw away 20% of them because they didn’t work. It’s very, very smooth. I get many compliments on that rifle. The action is as smooth than my R700.

      Rack rack rack rack. All day while I watch tutorials and training videos and do pushups.

      If someone got a hold of my Mosin, you could ‘Cry Havoc” all day. Everyday. The only problem with it is when you get rained on, the barrel rusts like hell. And the rounds are corrosive. Which uses a lot of resources cleaning the weapon. If you don’t clean it and pull the trigger, it makes a giant red cloud of rust. Very obvious to any trained eye.

      Pouring water down the barrel while scrubbing it is the best. Run a few(ALOT) patches through it, and then some light gun oil.

      • NC Scout August 28, 2020 at 13:58

        Just carry a bottle of windex. The ammonia neutralizes the corrosive salts.

        • Badlands Rifleman August 28, 2020 at 14:41

          This is all I’ve done with my Mosin as well and it’s always worked good.

        • Johnny Paratrooper August 28, 2020 at 15:58

          I’ll try this tomorrow. I love Windex! What a great product! I’ll get a little bottle for my kit.
          I thought that was just a myth. Will do. It can take several cleanings to get the funk out of a Mosin or an AK after some corrosive primers. And even then, you’ll have snowflakes down the barrel. Rust crystals everywhere. The barrel is smooth, and safe, though.
          Once it was so corroded when I first got it that I couldn’t even get a brush down the barrel. I had to put it on the end of a drill and drill my way through the rust. It was that bad.

          Thanks guys. It takes alot of time to clean a Mosin.

        • Matt August 28, 2020 at 17:33

          Scout,

          Windex is also good for cleaning black powder arms as well. I use it and hot water on the old Sharps and have not had any rust.

          Matt

  7. WIHunter August 28, 2020 at 14:41

    Why did I think there’s a bunch of people looking for a Ruger American 6.5 right now….great review.

    • Badlands Rifleman August 28, 2020 at 15:35

      Thanks! It’s a good rifle with a lot of potential. Ran into a friend of mine that shoots long range competitions in the area and he says he’s seen more than a few show up at matches and people do quite well with them.

    • Johnny Paratrooper August 28, 2020 at 15:50

      I have put some rounds through this same rifle two summers in a row at my buddy’s farm in the Brohio sticks.
      This article doesn’t do this rifle enough justice. It really is a TRULY great weapon. 10/10 would take to combat.
      FMJ 6.5 can leave a little to be deserved in terminal ballistics. We have had a few clean passes on some coyote. But that’s not really a big deal. Bullets have a mind of their own some days. And those animals didn’t survive. So… GTG!

  8. Bram August 28, 2020 at 15:31

    I’m planning on something very similar. I noticed 6.5 Creedmoor didn’t spike in price or run dry on the selves like .308 or .223.
    Leaning towards the Savage Ridge Warrior because the stock is adjustable / customizable. Love the idea of a 1000 yard $1000 gun.

    • Johnny Paratrooper August 28, 2020 at 18:25

      The 200 round Hornady Battle Pack in the black plastic box. Loaded with the 110 grain FMJ bullets(I think).
      Is fairly priced and produces out of the box MOA accuracy. Out of this same rifle.

  9. Matt August 28, 2020 at 18:26

    Paratrooper,

    I have found that levels can really shrink the groups, more so the higher your scope is mounted. Due to having old rifles my scopes are mounted very high so use of a good level definitely helps out. I have tried several levels and have settled on an electronic one. It is far more accurate than a standard bubble level, being able to show as little as 1/10° off the plumb. Plus if you have problems focusing up close you can still distinguish the round separate LEDs even if they’re a bit fuzzy.

    As far as leveling the scope, it’s important to level the reticle to the bubble (or electronic) level. It’s also the easy. They sell little electronic box levels on Amazon that are used to set the angle of table saw blades. They only cost twenty bucks or so and are also accurate to 1/10°.

    Align the reticle to the rifle in whatever method that you normally use. Then place the rifle in some sort of rest, turn on the box level, and set it crosswise on the scope cap. Rotate the rifle until the box level shows 0.0°. Now set the bubble, or electronic, level to show zero cant as well (electronic scope levels are very easy to zero out). You’re done.

    I keep my electronic level set to show when I have a deviation on 0.2° or more. Couple the scope level with a bipod that allows canting side to side, like MagPul’s offering. Quick, easy, and accurate.

    Matt

    • Johnny Paratrooper August 31, 2020 at 00:58

      Thanks. I will try this.

  10. Anonymous August 28, 2020 at 19:21

    0.5

  11. Whydah August 29, 2020 at 11:27

    Great article. Thanks for the idea regarding the foam butt support. I have a Savage M10 “Light Tactical” in .308. Its a bit heavier than your Ruger, but not by much I wouldn’t think, and its topped with a Leupold 4X12. Highly recommend the Magpul “Rifleman’s” sling. A couple of my rifles are sporting one.

  12. Rucksack Rob August 30, 2020 at 11:51

    Great Article! A few thoughts… 1) I need another cartridge in the locker like I need another hole in my head, but you have me seriously thinking the 6.5 might be a (new) ticket because, 2) as mentioned, ballistics are great and it’s still readily available at a reasonable price(s). 3) as far as your ‘rear support’ goes, that is also brilliant and the cost is around $1.29 worth of material(s) and 15 minutes time. Too bad someone doesn’t make a padded M14 / M1A style ‘flip-up’ butt plate with the shoulder rest built in. I find it quite useful when shooting my M1A long range from the prone. 4) my experience with Gorilla tape has been very good with the black color, but the camo, not so much. I’ve bought dozens of black but only one of camo. brand new roll of camo peeled the camo off of the layer underneath as I pulled it off the roll. That was a few years ago, haven’t bought a (camo) roll since. And lastly… what type or brand is the pack or shoulder bag in photo #8 ? It looks ideal as a range bag or catch-all… Thanks again for the great article.

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